


The Salandit That Was Meant to Evolve

by RachelTikvah



Category: Pocket Monsters: Sun & Moon | Pokemon Sun & Moon Versions, Pokemon - Fandom
Genre: Gen, Gender Identity, Genderfluid, Pokemon, Transgender
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-02-29
Updated: 2020-02-29
Packaged: 2021-02-28 01:01:08
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,284
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/22961338
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/RachelTikvah/pseuds/RachelTikvah
Summary: A storybook-style tale of personal growth and gender identity that takes place in the Alola Region, of all places. This fic is dedicated to anybody who has ever felt that they were meant to grow into a body that was different from what they were told that they had to be.
Comments: 5
Kudos: 19





	The Salandit That Was Meant to Evolve

**The Salandit That Was Meant to Evolve  
**

**By Rachel Tikvah**

Long ago, in the craggy mountains of the Alola region, there lived a very special Salandit. As a hatchling, he had grown up with his brothers and sisters. All that time, he loved seeing other Salandits evolve into beautiful Salazzles and make new dens for themselves elsewhere in the mountains. He loved it so much because he knew that one day, he would evolve into a Salazzle and leave home too.

But years passed, and the Salandit didn’t change at all. He waited for so long, sure when he woke up each day that _this_ would be the one when it finally happened. Sadly, by the time that the stars appeared in the sky each night, he was still a Salandit—just as he had always been.

One day, the Salandit decided that he had had enough. He should have evolved by now. Plenty of his siblings already had. Thinking that the others in his family might have the answers, he went and asked them. “I’ve been waiting for so long to evolve,” he said. “Why hasn’t it happened yet?”

The others laughed. “Don’t you know? Only girls grow up to be Salazzles. You were born a boy, and you've already grown up—it’s never going to happen.”

“But that makes no sense” the Salandit said. “I'm supposed to be a Salazzle. I can feel it.”

The laughter fading from their faces, the others started to glare at him. “Surely, you must be mistaken,” they said. “Or maybe you think you’re better than us? How can you know for sure that you’re meant to evolve? Show us proof.”

“How do you know for sure that the sky is blue, or that a Vulpix is white as snow? You just do. I can’t show you proof because it’s something that I feel deep inside of me. Isn’t that enough for you?” The Salandit felt his heart starting to sink. He knew that they weren’t satisfied.

“Why should we trust what we can’t see with our own eyes? You’re wrong. You’re just a Salandit, and that’s all you’ll ever be. Now go away, and take your silly ideas with you.”

The Salandit ran away from them and hid elsewhere on the mountain, crying as he tried to think about what to do next. _I know that I’m supposed to be a Salazzle. The others are wrong. Isn’t a family supposed to love and trust one another?_ _But when I asked them for help, they laughed at me. They told me that I was wrong about myself. Maybe if I go out onto the island and find proof that my feelings are true, they’ll believe me._

And so the Salandit set out to find proof that he was meant to evolve.

The first place that the Salandit went to was a dry, dusty valley. His legs were tired, so he laid down and sunned himself on a pile of rocks by the side of the path. “Maybe experience is what I need,” he said to himself. “I’ll just travel some more. Then, I’ll evolve for sure.”

“Evolve? Why would you want to do that?”

The Salandit looked down in surprise at a smooth red rock that he had used to climb to the top of the pile. Only...it wasn’t a rock at all. As he watched, a sunny yellow head stuck itself out of a hole in the stone. It was a Shuckle!

“I’m sorry,” the Salandit said. “I didn’t see you there. I was just thinking of a way to make myself evolve. It hasn’t happened to me like it should.”

“Why would you worry yourself with that, little Salandit? I’ve looked the same all my life, and I’ll stay the same for all the rest. The reason we Shuckles live for so long is that we never change. Staying the same is safe. When you never have to be anything new, you never get hurt. I’ve sat in the same valley and eaten the same sweet berries for the last fifty years, and I know the next fifty will be just the same. You should be like me.”

“I’m sorry, Shuckle.” The Salandit shook his head sadly. “Your way of living is fine for you, but it’s not right for me. I need to evolve.”

“Well, I hope that you find what you’re looking for! I can’t help you, but maybe someone else can.”

The Salandit left the valley, thinking about the Shuckle. What was it like to never want to change? He tried to imagine being the way he was until his very last days, but he couldn’t do it. He was so deep in thought that he didn’t notice the sky getting dark until he felt drops of water on his head. It was raining!

Looking around, the Salandit saw that he had wandered into a beautiful forest. The trees swayed back and forth in the wind as rain dripped down from the canopy of leaves overhead. Suddenly, he saw movement on the path in front of him. Was someone there?

“Hello?” He called out. “I want to evolve, but I don't know how. Is there anyone here who can help?”

Just then, a friendly face floated into view. This pokémon wasn’t like anyone that the Salandit had ever met before. They had a head like a water droplet, and they floated around on a perfect circle of silver clouds.

“Hi! I’m Castform. I’m sorry that I didn’t come sooner—I was enjoying the nice weather. What’s ‘evolving’?”

“Evolving is when you grow up and your body changes from one form to another. Sometimes it’s once, and sometimes it’s twice. I’m supposed to evolve into a Salazzle, but I don’t know how. Do you have any advice?”

The Castform thought for a second. “Once you’re evolved, do you ever change again?”

“No, because then you’re the way that you’re supposed to be. You just get to be you!”

“Well, that doesn’t sound very fun! Why change a couple times over your entire life when you can be different every single day? I get to change with the weather. When it’s rainy, I’m like this. When it’s cold, I freeze too. Sunny days are some of my favorites, because I get to glow. Every day, I get to be something new. Life is so colorful when you don’t have to be one thing forever. You should be like me!”

“I’m sorry, Castform.” The Salandit shook his head sadly. “Your way of living is fine for you, but it’s not right for me. I need to evolve.”

“Well, I hope that you find what you’re looking for! I can’t help you, but maybe someone else can.”

The Salandit left the forest, trying not to step in too many mud puddles as the raindrops fell on his head and sizzled. Eventually, the rain cleared up and he found himself walking in a lush, grassy field with a blue sky overhead. But as beautiful as the day was, he couldn’t help but feel sad. He was so far from home, and he still didn’t have anything that he could show to the others! If he couldn’t find a way to evolve, what would he do?

As he thought about this, he came to a tent set up for the evening. A cooking pot was simmering over a fire, and lots of different pokémon were running around outside. Just then, one of them saw the Salandit watching and walked over.

She was so beautiful—nearly as beautiful as a Salazzle, he thought. She had bright blue eyes, and her white fur was streaked with pink. All around her were ribbons of blue, pink, and white. “Hi!” She said to the Salandit. “I’m Sylveon! Who are you?”

“I’m a Salandit, but I should be a Salazzle." Seeing another friendly face made the Salandit’s heart rise with hope at first, but then he remembered what had happened the last couple of times that he had met fellow travelers.

"I’m sorry, though. I won’t bother you. You look like you’re having a lot of fun with your friends, and I wouldn't want to get in the way.”

“I am, but I want to hear your story. I love making new friends, and you seem unhappy. It’s good to listen to friends when they’re feeling sad. What did you mean about being a Salazzle?”

The Salandit smiled, grateful for Sylveon’s kind words. “Thanks! I guess I didn’t think that anybody would want to listen. I’d love to be your friend!" He took a deep breath. “Okay, I think I’m ready now.

“I’ve known all my life that I’m supposed to grow up and become a Salazzle, but I’ve never been able to do so. Everyone back home says that boy Salandits don’t evolve into Salazzles, but I know what I’m meant to be. I’m worried, though. Why hasn’t it happened yet? Nobody I’ve talked to so far seems to get it."

The Sylveon nodded and gave him a warm smile. “I think I might understand. I used to be an Eevee, and my trainer wanted me to evolve. She tried giving me different stones that would help me to grow strong, but none of them ever felt right. I’ve always been too calm to be a Flareon, and I don’t like fire very much anyway. I thought about being a Glaceon, but I like feeling warm and cozy. And touching leaves has always felt so weird to me, I couldn’t ever imagine becoming a Leafeon. If I already don’t like how leaves feel, I don’t think that I could deal with them being a part of my body forever!

“My trainer tried everything, but I pushed every stone away. She could have forced me to evolve into something I didn’t want to be, but she listened. She trusted me and gave me time. One day, it happened. I was playing with her, thinking about how much I loved her and how much she cared about me. Then, I started to change! I evolved, and it felt right. When I saw my new self for the first time, I was sure that this was what I was always meant to be. If someone like me can evolve into something that makes me happy, maybe it can happen for you, too. I believe in you, little Salandit.”

The Salandit felt like crying again, but this time out of happiness. “Thank you, Sylveon. I think that was exactly what I needed to hear. I was losing hope, but maybe you’re right! Just because it hasn’t happened yet doesn’t mean that I should give up hope. I’m going home now. Thank you so much for your help.”

Sylveon waved goodbye with one of her ribbons as the Salandit walked past the tent and back towards the mountains. He spent the early evening climbing, and by the time he was back home the sunset was glowing beautifully overhead. He was worried about what the others would say, but his conversation with Sylveon had lifted his spirits. Even if he hadn’t found any proof, maybe he could convince them after all!

Everyone looked his way as he approached the nests. “Well? Do you have anything to show us?” They teased.

“Nothing that you can see. But now I’m even more sure that I’m meant to be a Salazzle.”

The others laughed cruelly. “Haven’t you learned anything? A Salandit is all you are, and it’s all you’ll ever be! If you won’t learn that on your own, maybe we should teach you a lesson.”

They circled around him, embers and purple smoke rising into the air as they got ready to strike. The Salandit’s smile faded as he realized that they wanted to hurt him. Was he ever going to change? Maybe he should just listen to them and stay the way that he was forever.

But then, he remembered everyone that he had met on his journey. Shuckle, who was happy just staying the same; Castform, who found joy in how each day brought new transformations; and Sylveon, who was just like him. Every pokémon was different, and everyone felt differently about change. His feelings mattered just as much as everyone else’s. If that was true, then he didn’t need to settle for being like the other Salandits. Just like Sylveon, he could become who he was always meant to be.

The others started to close in, angry purple flames rising from their bodies. But as they got closer, the Salandit started to glow brighter and brighter. He grew taller, his tail becoming long and graceful. Blinding flames blazed across his chest, and he felt so overjoyed when he realized what was happening. When the light faded, he looked at himself. No, wait…that didn’t sound right. _She_ looked at the beautiful Salazzle that she had become. For one long moment, she and the Salandits stared at each other. Then, the moment broke. The others, wide-eyed and afraid, realized how much stronger she was now. They had been happy to hurt her when they were the ones with the power, but now…the Salazzle was her fullest, truest self, and they didn't stand a chance. All at once, they ran away like the cowards they were.

Should she follow them? No, the Salazzle thought. Looking up at the starry sky, she felt happier than she had in a long time. In that moment, she realized that she had never needed to prove anything to her family. Knowing who she was had always been enough. She was finally a Salazzle, just like she was always meant to be.


End file.
